Summary: Twenty-six and grappling with depression, Cynthia Yoder leaves her husband of two years and their life in New York City to embark on a search for meaning that will take her to a rural hill in eastern Pennsylvania and back to her Pennsylvania Dutch Mennonite roots. As she collects stories from her aging grandparents and hears how they’ve grappled with their own losses, the young author begins to understand what she needs to do to save herself—and her marriage. With its stories, diary entries, old photographs, and recipes, Crazy Quilt is as much about heritage as it is about the power of love that transcends human limits. Comment: "An
amazing journey of one young woman's coming to terms with
the clashes between her heritage and her future ideal for
herself. Yoder evokes life within her Mennonite culture
with vividness and clarity. What makes her book so
unusual is the way she turns her particular American past
into a story that speaks to us all." "Crazy Quilt is like that
good friend who dares to state the truth out
loud—-and laugh with you about it. Yoder’s
memoir is witty, whimsical, and a great read." "This book is written by one woman
but is the story of all who have faced challenges. Here
you will find courage and hope for your own life. I urge
you to take Crazy Quilt home and read it." "A joyous, thoughtful exploration
of faith, history, reinvention. Yoder defines forgiveness
and maturity through a generous narrative of her
grandparents’ timeline and her own life at a turning
point." "Yoder started healing when she
broke out of her emotional solitary confinement and into
the arms of her loving and supporting family. Hers is a
path that others can follow." "Yoder shows that healing is not a
linear path from ‘problem’ to
‘solution,—but an ever-deepening exploration of
past and present, body and spirit, dependence and
independence, fantasy and reality. We can all learn from
her journey." "Here we have four stories woven
as one: a quest for home; a memoir; the
‘romance’ of a grandparental couple; and the
story of how their stories come together. Each thread has
color and texture. . . . Market: Anyone interested in a journey between subcultures and the griefs and joys of leaving and reentering not only a tradition but also a marriage. Shelving: Autobiography; Memoir—religious, Anabaptist, Mennonite; Spiritual journey; Depression; Cultural History. BISAC: Autobiography. RTM: 170 Autobiography; 690 Religion/Ethics. The Author: Cynthia Yoder’s work has appeared in national literary publications including Parabola, The Cortland Review, The Sarah Lawrence Review, and Mennonite Life. Yoder studied literature at Columbia University and holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their son. Publisher: Cascadia
Publishing House (the new name of Pandora Press U.S.) Crazy Quilt orders:
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